A Past and Future Secret
by petrelli heiress
Summary: Peter and Gabriel meet on the first day of high school. They become friends and stay that way until, on the night of Peter's sixteenth birthday, Gabriel proposes something that change them forever. Rated T unless I suddenly have a burst of dirty thoughts
1. Friends

**A Past and Future Secret**

**Author's Note: My angsty Pylar fic which I've been dreaming about for awhile now. Ever since I watched **_**Chance**_**, in fact. Not total angst of course since I have to have some humour but yeah, prepare yourself. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes. **

First day of high school.

Okay, Peter, you can do this. You can go sit with complete strangers...who will probably tease you mercilessly until finally you are forced to relocate to the library where you will eat your lunch alone for the rest of your high school existence. God, he couldn't do this.

He took a deep breath – repeating the mantra 'I can do this' in his head – and, clutching his lunch tray, moved into the crowded cafeteria. He looked around for an empty table. There were none.

His deep breaths were now shaky to the extreme. Nathan had definitely lied. He'd said everything would be fine, that he'd make friends instantly. But he'd already had three classes and no one – count that, no one – had so much as spoken to him. And he'd been in groups where people were supposed to talk to him. But...nothing.

He spotted an almost empty table – there were only two other people sitting there, a boy and a girl; everyone else seemed to avoid the table like they would the plague – and made a beeline for it. Hopefully they would let him sit there.

He set the tray down gently. The girl was reading, staring at the pages intently as she bit her nails absentmindedly. The boy appeared to be enjoying his chocolate cake – Peter didn't remember there being chocolate cake! Had he missed it? – his eyes closed in rapture. Peter tried not to make any noises as he sat down and pulled the chair in.

The girl immediately bookmarked her page and put it away in a bag near her feet. She smiled at him rather cheerfully. Peter felt himself blush. Dammit. Girls rarely smiled at him. And why did he have to blush so easily whenever they did? Heidi thought it was cute but she really didn't know how terribly _embarrassing _it was.

She stood up. Oh god. He was so hideous girls immediately left tables whenever he appeared. Her grin widened at his discomfort. "This is Gabriel," she said, pointing to the boy who began choking on his chocolate cake the instant she said his name. He waved hastily. "I'm Rosie and I'm leaving." She turned to the boy. "Gabriel, you have English with Mr. Thompson, don't you?"

The boy swallowed painfully, most because his throat was now a bit raw. Choking did that to you. "Yeah?"

She handed him a note. "Give this to him, will you? I have a doctor's appointment." She sighed in way that said that she was both annoyed and rather relieved at this. "Mum is always doing this." She shrugged. "Well, see you later." She bounced away.

Gabriel and Peter looked at each other.

"So, um, I didn't notice they had chocolate cake," Peter began, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. Nathan and his parents were pushing him to have them cut off but on this topic he stood his ground. _No one _was cutting them off.

"They don't," Gabriel replied. "My mom makes the best and she always goes all out on the first day of school." He paused and then said hesitantly, "Do you want some?"

"Uh..." Peter stuttered for awhile until he was finally able to say, "Sure, if you don't mind."

Gabriel grinned. "I wouldn't have asked if I did." He handed him a piece of chocolate cake (his mom always gave him at least five pieces to take to school and he'd only eaten three of them), asking as he did so, "What's your name? Mine's Gabriel, as I'm sure you already know."

Peter smiled shyly. "Yeah, I did. I'm Peter." He took a deep, supposedly relaxing breath. "Peter Petrelli."

Gabriel's dark eyes widened and he pushed his glasses up his nose (something he did when he was excited or anxious). "No way," he breathed. "Not Nathan Petrelli's brother?"

Peter shifted nervously. Why did his brother have to be so damn popular? It was very hard to live up to. "Um, yeah." He waited for inevitable questions that always followed the revelation that he was Nathan 'The Perfect One' Petrelli's brother.

It didn't come.

Eventually Gabriel said, "Do you like sports then?"

Peter looked at him, the astonishment clear in his eyes. "Uh, no. Why?"

He looked relieved. "Because sports suck."

Peter tried not to feel too giddy. Finally he found what Heidi would call a 'kindred spirit.' He'd never met anyone in his life who thought sports sucked. "As does any form of physical exercise." He grinned. Gabriel grinned right back.

High school might not be that bad after all.

"Look, the nerd's found himself a friend," a harsh voice said from above.

Then again, maybe not.

They looked up at the group of boys who looked like they didn't think sports sucked. In fact, Peter could go out on a limb and say they thought sports rocked. Physical exercise in all its forms probably rocked too.

Gabriel, a sullen look on his face because he knew what was coming, said, "Hey, Will. How's it going? That rash clear up yet? I'm sure if you just put some -"

He was lifted up out of his chair and held above the ground from his shirt collar. "What did you say, freak?" the guy addressed as Will hissed.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "God, are you deaf?" he said in a tone that Peter thought highly inappropriate considering how far his feet were from the nice solid ground. "I _said, _before you so rudely interrupted, that if you just put some ointment on it, it will clear right up." He shook his head at Will's deafness.

Will's eyes – angsty girl poetry had been written about them but Peter thought they looked a bit beady – narrowed. "Do you have some sort of death wish?"

"Hey, leave him alone!"

Every eye in the cafeteria, which had fallen silent as Will terrorised Gabriel, turned towards Peter, who gulped. What the hell was he thinking? Had he gone insane?

"Who the hell are you?" Will said, still managing to keep Gabriel up in the air.

"Peter Petrelli," he said, his voice incredibly loud in the hushed cafeteria.

Will's eyes widened and he dropped Gabriel instantly. "Right," he said, trying to maintain his dignity. "So...yeah. Let's go, boys. Scaring the nerd was getting a bit boring anyway."

As the cafeteria slowly regained its noise level, Peter helped Gabriel to his feet.

"It's only the first day of school and you've already got the school bully after you," Peter said as he watched Gabriel straighten his glasses. "What did you do that pissed him off?"

Gabriel sighed and stared mournfully at his chocolate cake. He wasn't that hungry anymore. He decided to wrap it up and give it to Rosie later. "I'm one of this school's charity cases. Will Tremain and his idiot buddies make it their mission to terrorise the charity cases."

Peter frowned, perplexed. He'd heard about charity cases, which was when the school offered scholarships to above average students who were financially handicapped. "Why?"

Gabriel looked at him sympathetically. "Didn't your brother tell you anything about this school? They don't think I belong because I'm," he lowered his voice, "poor."

Peter blinked. "Um, so?"

Gabriel laughed scathingly although, Peter thought, not at him. "You really have a lot to learn about the world, kid."

Peter frowned. "Don't call me that. I'm not a kid."

"Whatever you say...kid." Gabriel grinned cheekily. A piece of chocolate cake hit him square in the face. He laughed in amazement.

Peter looked innocent. "I told you not to call me that."

Silence reigned awhile as Gabriel grinned rather stupidly and Peter finished his piece of chocolate cake (he'd decided not to waste it all on throwing it at Gabriel) and then the rest of his lunch.

"You know," Gabriel said thoughtfully. "I think you're pretty lucky. I mean, all you have to say is your brother's name and they run like the wind. I wish I had something like that."

Peter watched him. "I'll protect you, Gabriel."

Something about that made him laugh. "Will you, now?"

"Of course." Peter nodded, as if to emphasise his point. "You're my friend." He realised what he'd said and blushed.

Gabriel was suddenly serious. "Really, Peter? You want to be my friend?" This thought confused him for some reason. He frowned. He'd never had a real friend before. Of course he had Rosie but she was friends with everyone.

"Um, yeah?" Peter said, shaking somewhat from nervousness. God, he was such a loser.

Gabriel smiled. It was a sweet smile and made Peter's heartbeat quieten just a little. "Okay."

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**Rosie is not based on me, okay? She's been in my head for days albeit under a different name which I will not use here because then a certain someone will think I stole it from them. So there. **

**Anyway, review please. **


	2. The Kiss

**Author's Note: Wow that was much longer than I expected. Need I remind you (or actually say it, I suppose) that this is SLASH so if you don't like, don't read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes**

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Peter walked into class on Monday, a year after he had first done so, and felt Gabriel's pure, unadulterated happiness at seeing him as though it was an actual force. It wrapped around him gently, like a security blanket. He smiled. He was always happy to see Gabriel because being around him made Peter feel safe, protected. Even though it was normally Peter doing the protecting.

The bullying of Gabriel Gray had continued although it always stopped the instant Peter appeared. Somehow being the little brother of their high school's most prized graduate still had its good sides. Will certainly thought so. He _never _bullied Gabriel, and tried to get others to stop it as well. He believed that if he did so Peter would put a good word in with Nathan. The good word to Nathan hadn't happened yet but he was nothing if not optimistic.

Of course Gabriel was perfectly able to take care of himself. He wasn't the weakling everyone thought he was. Peter knew this because, in their first every gym class together, Gabriel had taken his shirt off, showing off impressive muscles and an equally impressive six pack.

"I thought you said you didn't like exercise," Peter said, trying not to stare too long at him.

Gabriel looked at him, a small smile in the corner of his mouth. "I don't."

Peter cleared his throat and gestured nervously at Gabriel's overall hotness. "Then, um, what's with all the...muscles?"

Gabriel looked down at himself. "Oh." Then he laughed. "You'd be surprised what a watchmaker's assistant has to do."

"Most definitely," Peter said before he could shut himself up.

Gabriel laughed again and ruffled his hair.

High school was bearable with Gabriel by his side. His parents (and on bad days his brother) didn't approve of their friendship. Rosie said this was because they were snobs.

"What do you mean?" Peter said, confused.

"Well, with Gabriel being N.Q.O.C.D.," she said, trying not to laugh.

Confusion mounting, Peter asked, "What does that mean?"

"Not Quite Our Class, Dear," she replied, smirking. "And it's not just your friendship with Gabriel they don't approve of. They don't like me either." She leaned back in her chair, hands behind her head. "Now, what I can't figure out is whether this is because I'm the daughter of a single, but very well-off, mother or because of my incredibly fluid sexuality."

She giggled as Peter blushed. "You really are an innocent, aren't you, Peter?"

"No," Peter muttered, the heat in his cheeks becoming almost unbearable.

"Stop it, Rosie," Gabriel said, trying his best not to grin. "There's nothing wrong with a little innocence."

"I never said there was," she replied, blinking in surprise. Then she smirked. "You've always been attracted to a little innocence, haven't you, Gabriel?" She got a smack in the back of her head for that impertinent remark.

Peter had never been as glad at an interruption as when Will asked if he could join them. Of course, afterwards, when the table was mainly silent, he wished Will would go away.

These interruptions by Will, combined with the fact that their 'friendship' was the only one his parents approved of, meant that Peter had to invite him to his sixteenth birthday. His parents had decided to go all out. He didn't want them to – he would much rather they have a quiet party like his fifteenth birthday had been. But, no, his parents insisted that his turning sixteen was an event to celebrate. Sighing, he had agreed. He'd never been very good at standing up to his parents.

When Gabriel and Rosie arrived, presents in hand, the party was in full swing. Will had invited some of his friends who'd invited some their friends. Combine that with most of the Petrelli's friends and acquaintances and you had one hell of a party. This was why Rosie, yelling to be heard over the noise, took both her and Gabriel's presents and went to put them with the others, telling them to find somewhere much quieter.

And that was how Peter and Gabriel found themselves alone in Peter's bedroom. They sat on the bed and waited for Rosie.

Peter, trying to start some sort of conversation, said, "I don't really see why they're making such a big deal. I mean, so what if I can now get married? I still have to have their permission. And it's not as if I have a girlfriend," he added, muttering under his breath.

"Oh, Peter," Gabriel said, ruffling his hair. "Your parents love you. They just want the best for you."

"No, they don't," he said, turning to Gabriel. "They love the _idea _of me, but they don't love me. They don't even _know _me."

"I'm sure they do, really, really deep down," Gabriel said, a hint of a laugh in his voice. "I'm sure they have hidden depths and all that." At Peter's sceptical look, the hint of laughter turned into a full blown laugh. "Okay, so I don't think that. I hate your parents. I think they're blood sucking vampires complete with the unbeating hearts. But I am sure they love you. Who wouldn't, right, kid?"

"I've told you not to call me that," Peter said, not really caring. He sighed, frustrated, and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's just that...I'm never going to have a girlfriend, I'm never going to be kissed, if my parents always disapprove of everyone I like."

Gabriel blinked. "Are you telling me you've never been kissed?"

Peter realised what he'd just said and squirmed nervously. "Um, yeah."

"You mean, Rosie's never tried to kiss you?" Gabriel found this hard to believe. Rosie kissed everyone.

"No. Why? Has she tried to kiss you?" Why this thought affected Peter so much, he couldn't really say.

Gabriel laughed. "No...But Rosie's always going around kissing people. She says it's a learning experience." Where was that girl, anyway?

"By people...do you mean other girls?" This would explain all of her sly comments about such things.

"Yeah, does that bother you?" Gabriel glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes. Did Peter like Rosie?

Peter blinked. For an innocent, he really didn't mind. "Um, not as much as I thought it would. So...it's just an experiment?"

"Yeah, apparently, she says, girls practise on their girlfriends all the time so they'll be better kissers when they finally get boyfriends or whatever." Gabriel shrugged as if to say girls were weird. "She says she saw it in some movie."

"Oh."

"We could...experiment, if you want?" Gabriel mentally kicked himself. What the hell was he saying? He tried to shut himself up but all that came out was, "I mean, so you'll be a better kisser when you finally get a girlfriend, kid." He ruffled Peter's hair.

"Don't call me kid," Peter said absentmindedly. "And isn't that kind of...gay?"

"Not when it's an experiment." What are you doing, Gabriel? He'll never go for it.

Peter squirmed nervously. "Yeah...okay, whatever."

Gabriel blinked. Wait. What? "You mean...you want to do it?"

"Yeah. I mean..." Peter laughed nervously. "It's just an experiment, right?"

Gabriel smiled. Yeah, to Peter. "Right."

They both took deep breaths.

Gabriel took Peter's face in his hands, cupping his cheeks gently, and gazed intently into his eyes. "You ready?"

Peter, for some reason quite breathless, said, "Are you?"

Gabriel smiled at the reference, bent down and brushed his lips over Peter's. The kiss was soft and gentle at first. Peter breathed in Gabriel's peculiar scent and opened his mouth absentmindedly. The sudden insertion of Gabriel's tongue, which began to explore his mouth with single minded intensity, made him gasp but he didn't want to stop. He never wanted to stop.

So he kissed back, grabbing the back of Gabriel's head and pushing forward, his tongue exploring the recesses of Gabriel's own mouth. He moaned softly and Gabriel moaned with him. The kiss soon deepened in passion and intensity.

They broke apart, panting, their foreheads touching.

"Gabriel," Peter whispered. He smiled crookedly. "So, that was an experiment, was it?"

Gabriel shook his head. "No," he gasped, his voice sounding like gravel. He crushed his lips back onto Peter's with a roughness that made them both gasp, though not in pain.

Gabriel pushed Peter gently down onto the bed and straddled him, keeping the kiss going as he did so. He sucked on Peter's bottom lip, making him gasp and arch his back.

"Peter?" he whispered, his lips moving down his neck.

"Yes?" Peter whispered, his hands grasping Gabriel's hair.

"You have no idea what this means to me," he murmured, his tongue making its slow way over Peter's collar bone.

Peter frowned and pushed him back gently so that he was looking him in the eye. "Yes, actually I think I do," he said, his voice low and intense. "How long have you been in love with me, Gabriel?"

Gabriel blinked and sat up, still straddling Peter, who pushed himself up on his elbows. "How long have you known?"

Peter sighed. "Not very long. Basically as soon as you started kissing me. Why didn't you tell me, Gabriel?"

"That I was so madly in love with you that I couldn't stop thinking about and that sometimes I dream about you? And that in the dreams you love me and we're happy?" Gabriel's tone was scornful. "Oh yes. That wouldn't have ruined our friendship. Much."

"So you decided to trick me instead?" Peter's tone was equally as scornful. "Oh yes, Gabriel. Very mature. Who's the kid now?"

Gabriel sighed, running his fingers through his hair absentmindedly. Peter noticed, the way you do at times like this, that his glasses were askew. He straightened them. Gabriel didn't appear to notice. "I love you, Peter, and I don't think I can stop. Lord knows I've tried. I've tried so many times." He sighed again and began to move off Peter.

Peter gripped his arm. "Don't leave."

Gabriel gazed at him, surprised. "What?"

"Don't leave me," he said, his voice throbbing.

Gabriel opened his mouth again but this time nothing came out. Peter took advantage of his silence and, grabbing his head in his hands, pressed his lips back onto Gabriel's. Soon they went back to exploring each other's mouths except that, in the process, Gabriel somehow lost his shirt. Not that he cared.

Peter had lost his shirt too and Gabriel was almost at his belt when the door opened behind them.

"Peter? Gabriel? Are you in here? It's time to open the presents..." Rosie trailed off, her eyes widening.

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**Oooh! I wonder what Rosie will think? **

**Review please. I'll try to update as soon as possible. **


	3. The Day

**Chapter Three: The Day**

**Author's Note: These chapters are just so emotionally draining...*happy sigh* I love them. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes**

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Rosie had been heading towards Peter's room, after dropping off his presents, when she spotted the most perfect male specimen sans shirt she'd ever seen. It took her awhile, and some drooling, to wrench her gaze from said male up to his face. She felt a bit disgusted with herself since she'd been looking at Will Tremain.

She heard Mrs. Petrelli announce that it was time to open the presents. Everyone looked around expectantly, hoping Peter would appear. Rosie decided to go look for him, and Gabriel for that matter. What was keeping them, anyway?

"Peter? Gabriel? Are you in here? It's time to open the presents..." Rosie trailed off, her eyes widening.

Gabriel scrambled for his shirt, which had somehow ended up on the lampshade across the room, while Peter blinked slowly, trying to orientate himself.

"Oh...my...god..." Rosie began, her breath quickening and a grin beginning to suffuse her face. She punched the air on every word. "Oh...my...god..." She almost screamed but was quick enough to clamp her mouth shut before she could.

"It's not what you think..." Gabriel began, trying not to blush and failing miserably. He'd thought Rosie had at least _some _dignity left in her.

Rosie slowly lowered her hands as though afraid that she might scream. "You mean my two best friends weren't just kissing each other? I just imagined the whole thing?" She rolled her eyes, a classic Rosie action. "Oh yes, I am so sure."

"Well, okay, it is what you're thinking but..." Gabriel scrambled for some explanation just as he had, not moments ago, scrambled for his shirt. Peter brushed his fingertips slowly across his semi-bruised lips.

"Rosie, did you know Gabriel's in love with me?" Peter asked, smiling softly, his question making Gabriel blush a deep red.

Rosie smirked. "Oh yes. I'm not blind."

Peter continued to smile. "Well, I think I should probably get glasses then since I didn't see it until he started kissing me." He touched his lips again. "It was a good kiss."

Gabriel looked at him. "It was?"

Peter nodded and the look they shared made Rosie squirm, although not nervously. "You guys...although I am immensely happy for you, don't get me wrong, you've been gone awhile and someone less...happy might come along and find you. Plus," she added, shrugging. "It's present time."

Peter sighed. He'd never really thought he'd ever think this but...he hated presents.

Gabriel squeezed his hand slightly as they left the room and he decided to revise that thought. He didn't hate Gabriel's present.

***

Peter's birthday just had to be on a Sunday. Now it was Monday and their first class was the dreaded gym. Gabriel shuddered. He really hated physical exercise.

He watched with some surprise as Peter prepared himself for the ordeal that was gym class. "You're not actually going to go out there, are you?" he asked, leaning back against a nearby locker as the other guys left one by one.

Peter shrugged. "What else am I supposed to do?"

Gabriel grinned. "We could play hooky, go explore New York..."

"We've lived in New York our entire lives," Peter said, bending down to tie his laces. "We can't really explore it. Plus," he added. "I saw on the news this morning that it was going to rain."

"Peter." At the sound of his name, he looked up into Gabriel's suddenly very persuasive dark eyes. "Do you really want to go to gym class?" He entwined their fingers. Peter looked at their hands, his mouth slightly agape. "Don't you want some adventure?" Gabriel lowered his voice. "Don't you want to spend time with me?"

Peter's breath caught in throat. Oh god, yes. More than anything.

Gabriel saw his answer in Peter's eyes and grinned. "Come on then," he said, pulling Peter out the side entrance of the now empty locker room.

"We're going to get in so much trouble," Peter murmured, trying not to grin as they walked hand in hand down the street.

"That's what makes it so much _fun_," Gabriel replied, making no attempt to hide his own grin.

They eventually found themselves in a park. They didn't know its name. It didn't really matter. All that mattered was that they were happy and that they were together.

Gabriel stopped in front of an ice cream vendor. He pulled out his wallet. "Okay, kid, choose an ice cream. My treat." He grinned at Peter's usual response to being called 'kid.'

"Um..." Peter looked at the list on the side of the booth, complete with mouth watering pictures. "Chocolate almond with lots and lots of chocolate sauce," he finally said, decisively.

Gabriel shook his head but gave up his hard earned money, handing Peter the ice cream moments later. "You're going to make yourself sick with that," he mused, watching him lick the ice cream dripping off the cone. "Don't come running to me when you do."

Peter grinned cheekily. "Now," he said, trying to be serious. "You've bought me something so now I owe you. What do you want?"

Gabriel's eyes sparkled with mirth. "All five seasons of _Angel_, please."

Peter looked slightly disappointed. "That's all? I thought..." He couldn't finish that sentence since Gabriel had pulled him close and crushed his lips onto Peter's in a matter of seconds.

They broke apart moments later. Peter looked down at Gabriel's shirt. "Oh, now look what you've done," he said, trying to bring himself back to reality but really just wanting to float away. He tried to wipe the ice cream off Gabriel's shirt, his efforts only making it worse.

Gabriel ignored him, preferring to continue kissing him than to worry about his now ruined shirt.

"Now you owe me a new shirt," he said breathlessly minutes later. "_And _all five seasons of _Angel_."

"Done," Peter whispered, kissing him softly. He took a deep breath afterwards and, entwining their fingers, said, "Now let's go and see about repaying my debt."

After almost three hours spent looking for a new shirt and _Angel_, Gabriel finally looked down at his watch and noticed the time. "Peter, I think we better go if we want to be in time for lunch."

Peter ignored him. Instead he threw a shirt at him. "Take that one off and try this one."

The saleswoman hid a smirk as Gabriel sighed, divesting himself of his shirt and trying on the one Peter threw at him.

"Oh, I like that one," the saleswoman – her name tag read 'Cassidy' – said, no longer trying to hide her amusement. Gabriel threw her a look that simply said, "Don't encourage him."

Peter, noticing Gabriel's impatience, sighed inwardly. He'd been having so much fun winding him up. He smiled at Cassidy. "Thanks for your help. I think we'll take the lot."

Cassidy nodded and began collecting the shirts up, folding them neatly.

Gabriel's eyes widened. "Peter...you don't have to..."

Peter waved his hands. "I owe you, Gabriel Gray. Now shut up and take it like a man." He grinned.

"Yes, sir," he said meekly and, taking Peter in his arms, showed no meekness whatsoever when he kissed him.

By then it was pouring down and they had to run from shelter to shelter as they made their way back to the school.

Peter grabbed Gabriel's arm just as they were about to enter the school grounds. Rain poured down his face. It didn't really matter though – he was soaked through already. He had to wait a moment to catch his breath. "Gabriel," he said, between gulps of air, "these have been the best...twenty four hours of my entire life."

Gabriel gazed at him, the rain meaning nothing now. "Mine too."

Peter grinned at him, kissing him as though they didn't have to renter a place where they had to pretend they were just friends. He kissed him like these twenty four hours were never going to end.

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**Well. I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I enjoyed writing it. **

**Review please. Reviews are akin to puppies, kittens and 'mental sunshine' and thus must be treasured. **


	4. The Relationship

**Chapter Four: The Relationship**

**Author's Note: this chapter's mostly filler (hehe, reference) before I go mental and smash a wrecking ball through their relationship. So enjoy this while you can. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes**

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One night, when the Petrelli parents were out of town on a business trip and Peter was left home alone with only the housekeeper making regular checkups on him, he, Gabriel and Rosie stole into Mr. Petrelli's liqueur cabinet and became increasingly drunk on the contents of said cabinet.

Peter, in a drunken fit of passion, confessed that he'd always wanted a cat. But, because of his father's allergies, he'd never been able to have one. This confession made Gabriel buy a cute little black kitten and name her Miss Kitty Fantastico after Willow and Tara's cat in _Buffy_ the very next day. After he'd recovered from his hangover obviously.

Gabriel confessed morosely that he hated being a watchmaker's assistant and that one day he hoped to become a doctor. If he could, if he was smart enough, he wanted to become a brain surgeon.

"Because," he said, slurring some of the words, "the brain is a fascinating thing and I want to know how it works."

Peter and Rosie nodded understandingly. Peter patted him kindly on the cheek. Gabriel leaned into his hand. "We'll help, won't we, Rosie?" Peter said, just a bit too loudly.

Rosie hiccupped, nodding, a big grin on her face. That grin slowly slid off as the boys, as one, turned towards her. "What?" she said, her voice hostile.

"We've both confessed something," Gabriel said, still absentmindedly rubbing his cheek against Peter's hand. "Now it's your turn. And you'd better make it good."

So Rosie confessed that she wouldn't mind seeing Will Tremain shirtless more often. Peter and Gabriel dissolved into giggling fits. After Gabriel tried and failed to shout the word 'Traitor!' in a disapproving voice Rosie joined them in their laughter.

Will became a permanent member of their little group after that. Rosie took every opportunity that presented itself (mostly because Peter and Gabriel wouldn't stop grinning slyly at her) to get Will to remove his shirt. Strangely, it was only when she specifically told him to that he ever did. Not that she, or any of the other girls in the cafeteria for that matter, were complaining.

No one outside of Rosie (and at time Will, when he wasn't being completely obtuse) knew the true extent of Peter and Gabriel's relationship. Some of their teachers (especially Mrs. Hall, the gym teacher) suspected it but since it rarely seemed to affect their ability to learn in anything other than a good way they said nothing. Mrs. Hall even slipped them hall passes just before they skipped her class to go exploring New York (an event that had become almost traditional). The Petrelli parents were happily oblivious as were Gabriel's parents. The only one who seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary was Nathan's girlfriend Heidi, who hid a smirk when he expressed disapproval over his little brother's 'friendship.'

Rosie confided to her mother, Desdemona (her parents had had particularly sick sense of humours; most people simply called her Dessie), about Gabriel and Peter's relationship, mostly because she needed someone to talk to about it. Dessie said "No way" at least twice and then began jumping up and down, screaming. Rosie soon joined her. This was the exact reaction she'd predicted. Now, at last, she had someone to scream with.

Gabriel and Peter continued their relationship for two years. They didn't try to keep it hidden, it just happened that way. They held hands under the table, or their desks, as much as they possibly could. The janitor's closet became their own personal make out room (much to the surprise of the janitor, Adam, who found them in there more than once). They could only show open affection towards each other, though, in their jaunts around New York or while sleeping over at Rosie's. Life continued like this for two happy years.

Happiness never lasts as long as we'd like it too though.

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**Oh god, what am I going to do? Find out next chapter. **

**Review please. And maybe you too will receive a dose of 'mental sunshine.'**


	5. The Discovery

**Chapter Five: The Discovery**

**Author's Note: I don't really know what to say here. Except to give you just the tiniest modicum of hope: I don't like sad endings. There, that should do. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes**

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"You ready?" Peter whispered, breathlessly, echoing something Gabriel once asked him so many years ago. His position echoed back to that time as well. He was lying on the bed, Gabriel straddling him.

Gabriel gazed down at him, just as shirtless now as he was then. "Why do I always end up shirtless when we start doing this?" he asked.

Peter smiled, brushing his fingertips across Gabriel's chest. "Because I like looking at you. Now answer the question."

Gabriel sighed and stroked Peter's face gently. "Are you, Peter?" He added, as Peter grinned and grabbed the back of his head, "I'm serious, Peter. Are you ready? We can't come back from this. If it doesn't..." He paused, trying very hard to continue but ultimately failing. He looked down at Peter helplessly.

Peter pushed himself up on his hands, his face incredulous. "Do you actually think...?" He shook his head, as though the very idea was unthinkable. "Gabriel, I love you." His brown eyes held the most serious expression Gabriel had ever seen in them. "It will always feel right. Even when we're senile old men, our teeth and hair falling out, it will a_lways _feel right. Because this..." He pointed at them. "You and me? It's destiny." He grinned up at him.

Gabriel gazed down at him for a moment. He took Peter's hands in his and gently touched his lips to them. "I love you too, Peter."

Peter's breath caught in his throat and he knew instinctively that he'd been right. They were destined to be together. He also knew that no one would ever make him feel the way Gabriel made him feel.

"Gabriel? It's almost dinner time. I think..." Virginia Gray stopped speaking, her hand still on the doorknob.

Gabriel tried not groan. "It's not what you think, Mom," he said, scrambling for some explanation (he decided not to scramble for his shirt this time). "Peter's finger was sore and I was just...kissing it better." Okay, could you come up with a worse excuse, Gabriel?

Peter instantly shoved his index finger in his mouth and began sucking it. "Yeah, Mrs Gray," he said, from behind his finger. "It really hurt. And you always said Gabriel had the healing touch." He grinned self-consciously as Gabriel threw him a grateful look.

Mrs Gray blinked. "Okay..." she said, unsure. She shook her head. Just accept their explanation, Virginia; it couldn't be what you thought it was. "Fine. Gabriel, would you be a dear and set the dining table?"

Gabriel smiled and reached for his shirt. "Sure, Mom, whatever you say."

He left the room, leaving his mother to stare vacantly at an innocent looking Peter, still sucking on his finger.

After setting the table Gabriel immediately brought in a sleeping bag in order to show his mother that everything was as it should be, that this was just an ordinary sleepover.

Dinner was a mostly quiet affair. Mr Gray was late, as usual, but after his arrival and placement at the table dinner resumed its stillness.

As was her custom Mrs Gray bid the boys goodnight and then closed the door. Peter waited a moment and then sat up. "Do you think she suspects?"

Gabriel sighed. "Sadly, no." He pushed his blankets aside. "Now, come here."

Peter grinned crookedly. "I love it when you're forceful."

He snuggled up beside Gabriel and slowly fell asleep. Just as Mrs Gray had her customs so too did he and Gabriel.

Unfortunately Gabriel was mistaken in the assumption that his mother suspected nothing. She sat at the kitchen table, biting her fingernails absentmindedly, her husband long gone to bed. She stayed that way for at least half an hour then she stood up and marched purposely to the phone. And dialled.

***

Peter wandered home the next morning, a foolish grin on his flushed face. Nothing much had happened last night, or that morning. He just felt so happy when he was with Gabriel. The happiness took awhile to wear off too, not that he minded. And by the time it had almost worn off he'd be back with Gabriel again more than likely.

Thus he was distracted as he opened the door quietly and made his way past the living room.

His mother called from within. "Peter? Would you come in here, please? Your father and I need to talk to you about something."

Peter expected nothing much, maybe a scolding for coming in so late at the worst. He certainly did not expect his father's fist to come out of nowhere and throw him nearly half way across the room. But nevertheless it did. And it hurt.

Peter gasped in pain, feeling his nose gently. It hurt. It was probably broken. "Dad? What did you do that for?"

His father sneered at him. "Did you hear that, Angela?" he asked Peter's mother, who sat cold and unapproachable on the sofa. "'What did you do that for?' he asks."

As Peter tried to stand up another punch came. He decided to stay on the ground. It seemed the safest place to be.

"You know why I bloody hell did that," Mr Petrelli shouted, his veins bulging out of his neck. "I will not have a nancy boy in this family." He towered above his son, trying to control his anger.

_What? _"Dad..." Peter began, standing up slowly and eyeing his father warily. "What are you talking about?"

"You and that Gray boy," he said and then turned to his wife. "Didn't I say that Gray boy was going to be a bad influence? Did I, Angela?" She merely nodded.

Mr Petrelli nodded firmly. "Now, you'll put a stop to this whole business, won't you, Peter?" He retrieved a white handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped his forehead with it. His voice hardened when Peter didn't answer. "Won't you, Peter?"

Peter's eyes were as hard as his father's voice had been. "No, _Father_, I won't," he spat.

Mrs Petrelli placed a restraining hand on her husband's arm. "Let me deal with this, Arthur," she said softly. "It will soon be taken care of." He looked at her for a moment and then left the room, obviously disgusted.

Peter and his mother gazed at one another as the minutes ticked by. She eventually patted a spot on the sofa directly beside. "Come here, Peter," she said gently.

Peter sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly. He did as she said. "Mom, can't you reason with him? I mean, there's got to be way to make him understand that..."

"...you love Gabriel?" she said, understanding in her eyes. Peter looked at her, surprised.

"It's perfectly natural for you to feel this way, Peter," she said, as Peter continued to gaze at her, mouth now slightly agape. "I'm sure you've heard your father's story of the drunken kiss with one of his frat brothers. It's perfectly natural to experiment."

She held up her hand, halting Peter's angry exclamation. "But there comes a time when it stops being an experiment." She gazed at him kindly. "You have to stop using the boy, Peter. It isn't right. What he feels is perfectly fine but what you feel is not. It cannot be. Thus it must be ended."

She stood up. "You must end it, Peter." She began to walk away and then stopped in the doorway. "And you will," she added and waited for a moment. Peter was silent, more from astonishment than anything else. She finally left.

Astonishment was quickly replaced by rage. His fingers bit straight through the fabric of the sofa. He was gritting his teeth so hard he felt that they might break. And then it hit him and he gasped from the sheer pain of it. They'd betrayed him. They'd heard about it somehow (probably from Mrs Gray, he thought absently) and had immediately decided to betray him. They probably didn't think of it as a betrayal. _For his own good_, they were probably saying. And he'd known, in the deep recesses of his mind, he'd known they would betray him. And yet, in true Peter fashion, he had hoped...

He shook his head. But it didn't matter now.

"Oh, Peter," a worried voice exclaimed. "What happened to you?"

He looked up to see Ingrid, their housekeeper, staring worriedly at him from her position at the doorway, her hands full of shopping bags. His hand went immediately to his face and he wondered how bad he looked from his father's two punches. Probably horrible, considering Ingrid's expression.

"Hey, Ingrid," he said, suddenly very tired. He stood up and went to help her with the groceries. She would have none of it. Instead she ushered him to the kitchen and dropped the bags onto the table. She wet a cloth and began to mop up his wounds.

"Now," she said firmly as he tried not to wince. "Tell me exactly what happened."

So he did. He could always tell Ingrid anything. He watched for her reaction but her face gave nothing away. As she went to rinse the cloth out he asked, "So? What do you think I should do?"

"Peter." She looked over at him from the sink. "I think you should do as they say."

He gasped at yet another betrayal and the look in his eyes made her shake her head. "No, you don't understand," she said and sighed. "If you continue with this relationship do you think your parents are just going to lie down and accept it? Do you really think that, Peter?"

His eyes widened. "You don't think they'd...do you, Ingrid?"

She sighed again. "I've worked here for quite a while, Peter. I've seen some things I'd really rather not discuss, or even think about. Most of them I do not understand. But," she said, gazing at him sadly. "What I _do _know is that they will stop at nothing to keep this family's image spotless. And that includes doing away with anything that crosses this goal."

Peter bit back an almost crazy laugh. "I can't believe we're talking about this. I can't believe...my own parents..." He trailed off.

When he glanced up at Ingrid a moment later she knew he'd made his decision because he looked like he'd just cut his own heart out.

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**Dammit, why do I always do this to myself? Urgh. **

**Review please. **


	6. The Break Up

**Chapter Six: The Break Up**

**Author's Note: I think I should probably warn you that...there is angst. I think. There, I said it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes**

**__________________________________________________________________________________**

Peter was nervous. Hell, he was shaking so hard his plastic fork was taking on a life of its own, throwing pieces of his lunch at innocent cafeteria dwellers who kept shooting him evil glares. But then how else was he supposed to act when he was about to break up with his one true love?

And that's what Gabriel was. His one true love. So why the hell was he doing this again? "I'll protect you, Gabriel" kept running through his head. He took a deep, apparently calming, breath. That's what he was doing. Protecting Gabriel from those evil bastards who had the gall to call Peter their son.

He looked up to find Gabriel gazing at him, worry in his eyes. He glanced back down at his plate and his still trembling hands. God, he couldn't do this. He couldn't do this. He couldn't do this.

"Peter, are you all right?" The concern in Gabriel voice made Peter emit a slight whimper. Damn, damn, damn.

He ran his shaking fingers through his hair. "Actually, um, could I talk to you...for a minute?" God, what was he doing? Stop it, Peter, stop it right now. "In private?"

Gabriel nodded. "Of course." He stood up and walked out of the cafeteria, Peter following him slowly. Many of the cafeteria's patrons breathed a sigh of relief at his exit.

And then Gabriel was kissing him, pressing him up against the wall, and he didn't want to stop. He never wanted this to stop.

He whimpered at the sheer pain of it all and Gabriel drew back, concerned that he'd hurt him in some way. "Peter?"

"Gabriel..." Peter gazed at him. "I..."

Gabriel dropped his hands quickly. "Don't, Peter...just don't, okay?"

Okay, that wasn't the reaction he'd expected. "What?" he said, surprise tingeing his voice.

Gabriel straightened his glasses, which had gone askew when he'd pushed Peter up against the wall. "My mom told your parents, didn't she?" he said quietly. "Now you have to break up with me." He looked up at Peter, his eyes the coldest they'd ever been. "God, Peter, you stand up for me all the time. Why can't you stand up for yourself?"

Was it better for Gabriel to believe that? Or was it better for him to hate him, for Peter to repeat his mother's words? To tell Gabriel that he'd only been an experiment, that he'd never loved him, that he was only using him? Was that better? He decided it was. Better that Gabriel hated him than for there to be even a modicum of hope.

Peter shook his head, his fingers shaking as they once ran through his hair. "No, Gabriel, that's not it at all. I just...I can't keep using you this way. There comes a time when it stops being an experiment," he said, his mother's words leaving a bitter taste on his tongue. He gazed at Gabriel. "I don't love you, Gabriel. I never have. I've been using you."

As he watched, Gabriel's expression turned from one of disappointment to one of soul-crushing anguish. He looked as though all of the air had been pulled right from his lungs, as though there was no air left in the world. "What?" he said. "Peter...you can't mean..." He felt tears pricking his eyes and tried to blink them away, with little success.

"This can't be happening," he whispered as he slid down the wall. "This can't be happening..."

Peter watched him for awhile. At one point he wavered, wanting to tell Gabriel the truth but he stopped himself. He walked away instead, walked all the way across the school to the library where he sat among the stacks and cried himself sick.

Rosie waited for them to return, all flushed from what was so obviously a make out session. When they didn't she frowned. She threw her bag at Will who caught it deftly if with some surprise. He didn't ask her where she was going though.

She found Gabriel where Peter had left him. When he looked up at her, the tears still running down his cheeks, she knew exactly what had happened.

"He doesn't love me, Rosie," Gabriel whispered, shaking his head slowly. "He said he never had, that he was just using me. Is this really happening, Rosie? This isn't some sort of nightmare, is it, Rosie? Please..." He gulped back a sob but another one was close behind.

Rosie stood there for awhile, staring down at her friend. Then she screeched back into the cafeteria. "Will! Come here right now!"

Will obeyed meekly, arriving seconds later, their bags in his hands. He saw Gabriel. "What...?"

"I want you to stay here and look after him," she said, firmly, her eyes cold. She turned to go.

Will nodded obediently. He'd have done anything Rosie told him to. "Where are you going?"

Rosie didn't answer but Will already knew. He almost felt sorry for Peter.

How Rosie knew to look for him in the library, Peter never knew. What he did know, what was painfully obvious, was that she was beyond pissed. She shouted at him for half an hour, calling him a bastard and many other numerous things he didn't know the meaning of. She was so loud it even called the librarian out from the recesses of his little room. He quickly returned there when Rosie shot him a terrible glare.

"Rosie, I'm sorry," Peter said, as she paused for breath. She glared at him.

"You're _sorry_?" she spat. "Well, I'm afraid that sorry just ain't gonna to cut it, Peter. Not anymore. Not after what you did, what you were doing. Using Gabriel like that?"

As Peter opened his mouth to explain, Rosie cut him off. "And even if that was some sort of elaborate lie, it still doesn't matter. What you did, that was unforgiveable. You as good as cut his heart right from his chest. I wish you knew how that felt."

Peter looked up at her for a moment and burst into tears. He buried his head in his hands and sobbed his heart out.

All of Rosie's anger left her. "Oh, Peter..." she said sadly. "What have you done?"

She stood there, staring at him, and after a moment, left.

No one came looking for him. When he finally emerged from the library (much to the delight of the librarian who then went and wiped the table down) everything was pretty much the same. Except that Will had taken Gabriel to the nurse's office and the nurse had taken him home personally.

No one paid him any attention. Rosie had decided to ignore him. Will, in gym class (since it was the only class they didn't have with her), patted him sympathetically on the shoulder. Mrs Hall, the gym teacher, had been there when Gabriel had been taken home. Now she looked at Peter, disappointment written on every line on her face.

His parents had received word of his break up and were almost sickening proud of him when he finally showed his face at home. They even thought it would be good if they threw a party. He just gazed at them for a moment, wondering how he'd never realised his parents were such – what was it Gabriel had called them years ago? That's right – blood sucking vampires complete with unbeating hearts. Then he went upstairs.

Nathan, although he tried to seem sympathetic to his little brother's plight, couldn't hide all of his satisfaction at the ending of the 'friendship.' Only Ingrid and Heidi showed some real sympathy.

While Peter had it bad, he didn't know the half of it. Gabriel was in pieces and it would take years, if ever, for those pieces to slowing knit themselves back together again. Rosie tried to be comforting but she'd never really mastered the whole pat-on-the-back-hand-him-a-tissue routine. So she left that part to her mother while she tried to get Gabriel interested in the fact that Prom was coming up.

As if Gabriel really cared. Whenever she so much as mentioned it his eyes would well up and he'd shout at her to leave the room. Rosie knew why and didn't hold it against him. He'd remembered the plans he and Peter had made. After all it was perfectly natural that they'd go to the Prom together, even if to everyone else they would seem to be going separately.

He tried not to think these thoughts. Instead he tried to focus all of his energy into hating Peter. It turned out to be very hard. He just couldn't. Because deep down (very, very deep down, past the tears and the grief, the anger and the tiny piece of hatred) he knew that Peter had been lying. He knew that like he knew he needed air to breath and food to live.

This was the reason he went to the Prom. Because he knew Peter would be there.

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**Oh god. Depressing, much? Don't worry, my friends, the next chapter will be sort of happy...in a bittersweet kind of way. Damn, I hope I didn't just give something away. **

**Review please. **


	7. First Time

**Chapter Seven: First Time**

**Author's Note: Okay, for this chapter I'm raising the rating up to M. So, you know, beware and all that. And also, uh, length. Yeah, I think that's about it. Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes, or the song 'So Close' by Jon McLaughlin (from _Enchanted_)**

**__________________________________________________________________________________**

As soon as Gabriel entered the ballroom he knew he shouldn't have come. It was crowded; there were far too many people there, laughing, dancing, talking to each other with loud voices; the music grated across his ears.

He looked at Rosie, begging her with his eyes to let him go. She ignored him (it had taken ages for her to convince him to come and she wasn't backing down now). Instead she took him by the arm and dragged him over to where Will was waiting, a huge grin at the sight of them suffusing his face.

"You look beautiful," he said to Rosie. She smiled at him but no compliment would make her let go over Gabriel. She pushed him into one of the chairs and sat down beside him. "See, now," she said cheerfully. "That wasn't so hard."

Gabriel gave her a look. "Oh, come on, Gabriel," she said, taking his hand in hers. "Be happy, for me? Please?

With a sigh Gabriel nodded. Rosie let go of his hand with a decisive nod. Will just shook his head in amusement over her antics.

Peter hadn't thought he was going to attend the Prom. His parents, and his brother, were disappointed at this but didn't press him. He locked himself in his bedroom while they chatted downstairs. Well, not literally. His parents didn't approve of locks on their children's bedroom doors.

Even so Peter did not expect anyone to come and see him, let alone Heidi. She shoved a white bag at him and, a frown clouding his features, he opened it to find a rather fine-looking tux inside. He glanced up at her, his mouth open.

She rolled her eyes. "Put that on. I'm taking you to your Prom whether you like it or not." She left.

Peter wondered what she would do if he didn't put it on. Probably nothing. He stared down at the tux in front of him. After a moment, in which he thought absolutely nothing, he put it on.

Heidi smiled, pleased at her choice, when he walked slowly down the stairs. His parents gushed and took pictures. Nathan ruffled his hair. He tried not to cry when Nathan did that. Heidi, noticing the wetness of his eyes, quickly ushered him out of the house. She handed him a tissue once they were on their way. He wiped his eyes.

"Now, Peter," Heidi began, her eyes firmly on the road in front of her. She had always been the better driver. "I want you to have a good time. No moping, okay?" She took a deep breath. "And if you see Gabriel..."

Peter's hands tightened around his knees. Heidi saw this out of the corner and trailed off, not really sure what she had been able to say, at any rate.

Heidi dropped him off and he walked inside, trying very hard not to shake with uncontrollable nerves. It was hard but he eventually managed to control his hands enough that only his pinkie finger moved.

He saw Gabriel the moment he walked into the ballroom. It would have been very hard to miss him, even with the grating music and loud voices. Gabriel was, well, Gabriel. Unforgettable.

Gabriel saw him as well. For some incredibly strange reason he didn't feel as though he was about to cry. Instead he felt calm. And also weird because he didn't know why he felt so calm. He stood up.

With a short cry Rosie stood up as well. "Now where do you think you're going, mister?" she said, only to be drawn back down to her seat by Will, who pointed Peter out to her. "Oh...well, that makes sense, I suppose."

Will patted her knee comfortingly. "Of course it does, dear."

Gabriel and Peter walked towards each other, stopping just as they were inches apart. For some reason the other people moved out of the way as though a force had pushed them. One of them actually said "Hey" before realising that nothing had pushed her. Her exclamation subsided into embarrassed muttering.

There was no "Hey." There was no "What are you doing here?" Gabriel just looked at him and said, "Liar."

Peter smiled rather sadly. "The best, baby."

As a song they both knew began playing Gabriel offered his hand to Peter. "May I have this dance, kind sir?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with mirth. Peter accepted gratefully and finally felt perfectly at peace with Gabriel's arms around him.

"_You're in my arms...and all the world is calm...the music playing on for only two...so close together...and when I'm with you...so close to feeling alive..."_

"Aren't you glad Rosie made us watch _Enchanted _with her for, like, five billion times?" Gabriel whispered his ear.

Peter snuggled into his warm embrace and Gabriel grinned, finding his answer.

"_A life goes by...and romantic dreams will stop...so I bid mine goodbye and never knew...so close was waiting, waiting here with you...and now forever I know...all that I wanted to hold you...so close..."_

They swayed together, their eyes closed, listening as the music washed over them.

"_So close to reaching that famous happy end...almost believing this was not pretend...and now you're beside me and look how far we've come...so far we are so close..."_

As the lyrics died away and the music took over, sending shivers down Gabriel's spine, Peter look at him. "Gabriel..."

He didn't let himself finish. Instead he crushed his lips to Gabriel's own, kissing him with such passion, and such desperation, as though he knew it would be their last.

Their lips drank deep of each other, their tongues exploring each other's mouths. Wanting, taking, having.

"_How could I face the faceless days...if I should lose you now?...We're so close...to reaching that famous happy end...and almost believing this was not pretend...let's go on dreaming for we know we are...so close...so close...and still so far..."_

They finally came apart, gasping heavily. Peter entwined his fingers with Gabriel's and glanced up to see a look in his eyes, which he knew was mirrored in his own.

Rosie elbowed Will in the arm. "The key, throw them the key."

Will rubbed his wound and glared at her. "What key?" he said sullenly.

"The hotel room key, doofus."

Will blinked. How had she known...He shrugged. She was Rosie. He grinned. He hadn't been called 'doofus' in years. He extracted the room key from his pocket and yelled, "Peter! Gabriel! Catch!" He threw the key, his aim having been perfected through all of those gym classes both Peter and Gabriel had skipped.

It seemed Gabriel had been perfecting his hand-eye coordination since he caught the key without even looking around. He pulled Peter out of there as thousands of eyes watched them go, neither of them caring in the least.

He took Peter up in his arms, just as he'd seen other people do so many times in the romantic comedies Rosie had forced him to watch. Peter enjoyed this immensely.

Gabriel walked all the way to the hotel (not actually that far since Will was pretty lazy), through the doors, past the grinning woman at the counter (her name tag read 'Kelsey Hall'; she was one of Mrs Hall's numerous offspring) and into the elevator, which seemed to take forever to reach the floor they wanted. Finally it did. It was pretty hard going for a moment as Gabriel tried, at first unsuccessfully and then with glowing triumph, to unlock the door. He kicked it shut behind him.

He laid Peter gently down on the bed and stood there, watching him with a strange look in his eyes. Then he glanced around the room and whistled. "Well, I never thought I'd say this but Will actually has pretty good taste. Well done, Rosie."

Peter growled deep in his throat. Gabriel hid a grin and then went to examine the bathroom. "Oh my god, Peter," he exclaimed. "I think this is real gold on the taps." He whistled again.

Peter collapsed on the bed, sighing with frustration.

After a moment of silence Gabriel peeked around the corner and watched him examine his nails with minute precision. God, he was adorable when he was frustrated. He grinned.

"Peter?" he said, walking deeper into the room. He'd taken his shoes off in the bathroom. The carpet felt pretty nice under his toes.

Peter instantly forgot whatever he'd found endlessly fascinating about his nails just moments ago. "Yes, Gabriel?" Dammit, why did his voice have to give him away _all the time_? He cleared his throat but that didn't seem to help.

"Peter..." Gabriel whispered as he stood at the edge of the bed. Peter grabbed his shirt and pulled him down, trying to get Gabriel to wrap his legs around his waist.

Their lips touched and Gabriel's game was over as evidence by the fact that he seemed to need to touch every inch of Peter's body and by the way his lips alternatively crushed and massaged Peter's own.

Peter, unlike every other time they'd attempted this, lost his shirt first, right around the time he kicked both shoes off. Gabriel's shirt was soon thrown away, finding itself inexplicably stuck in the light fixture on the ceiling.

Gabriel started trailing kisses down Peter's neck, stopping, on the way to his chest, to suck on his collar bone, making Peter gasp and arch his back just as he knew it would. He came to Peter's chest where his tongue and fingers quickly went to work, teasing, touching, licking, tasting.

Peter moaned, gripping Gabriel's hair tightly with his no longer shaking fingers.

Gabriel eventually found his way down to Peter's belt which he easily undid. "Now," he said softly. "I wonder what sort of underwear you have on, my dear Peter Petrelli..."

Peter tensed. Oh god, oh god, oh god. What sort of underwear _was _he wearing? He couldn't remember! It had never mattered before. Oh god, this was going to be so embarrassing. Please don't be those apparently cute (according to Heidi, at least) Bananas in Pyjamas ones. Please...If there truly was a merciful God, he would never have made Peter put those on...Please...

"Oooh," Gabriel said, grinning. He looked up at Peter, whose face was bright red. "I seem to recall you said you would never wear these." He held up Peter's underwear. Now how had that happened? How was Gabriel now holding his underwear...which were mercifully _not _the Bananas in Pyjamas ones. They were, oh god, they were his Spike ones. Spike's face on the front, and the words 'Out. For A. Walk...Bitch!' on the back. They weren't embarrassing at all. Not.

Peter looked up at the ceiling (noticing Gabriel's shirt in the process), trying not to die of embarrassment. "Gabriel, please..."

Gabriel's face blocked his view of the ceiling, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was grinning. "Oh, I love you, Peter," he said, his voice rough. He resumed kissing Peter, this time rather passionately. Peter immediately forgot his embarrassment especially when Gabriel began grinding his erection against Peter's own.

Peter forgot a lot of things after that, most notably his sense of self-control.

***

Peter watched sleepily as the sunlight brushed gently over Gabriel's hair. His fingers joined it. After awhile he moved away from Gabriel's sleeping form until he was sitting at the edge of the bed.

He dressed slowly, not wanting it to end but knowing it would.

He bent over Gabriel and softly kissed his forehead. Gabriel smiled in his sleep.

"This is it," Peter said, his breath moving strands of Gabriel's hair even though by now he was on his way out the door. "The end."

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**HA! Almost got you then, didn't I? *snorts* Like I would actually end it there. **

**And yes, my brain **_**has **_**been made all mushy with its dirty thoughts. **

**Review please. **


	8. Ten Years Later

**Chapter Eight: Ten Years Later**

**Author's Note: You remember that wrecking ball, right? Well, I'm smashing through **_**Heroes **_**season one and going AU on its ass. So be prepared for familiarity (episodes Parasite and .07%) and also complete, uh, AUness, obviously. Oh, and of course: age? **_**Pffle. **_**I apologise beforehand about the shortness.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes**

**__________________________________________________________________________________**

"Suresh?" Peter paused as he opened the door, frowning slightly at what appeared to be an empty apartment. But the door had been unlocked! Obviously they guy hadn't been here very long if he kept leaving his door unlocked. Certain things were liable to get stolen. Peter knew all about that. He remembered his first apartment with a shudder. He walked slowly into the room.

"Suresh? It's Peter Petrelli...Mohinder?" He felt something drop onto his head and his hands went immediately to his head. His fingers came away wet and dark. And now he'd have to shower again. Why had he even bothered to come here?

He looked up.

Mohinder, who appeared to be both badly beaten and pinned to the ceiling, whispered, "Sylar..."

Sylar? Where? Did he mean that creepy guy in the baseball cap who tried to kill that pretty blonde cheerleader? That guy who tried to kill Claire?

He turned, frowning, and then he was looking into a face he knew better than his own. He blinked in shock. "Gabriel...?"

Gabriel (or Sylar, if you absolutely must) grinned. "I remember you." He pushed Peter up against the wall, one strong hand grasping his throat. "You're like me, aren't you? I'd like to see how that works..."

He pointed his finger and started making the incision he made countless other times. Really, this was too easy.

_Liar._

_The best, baby._

Gabriel blinked in shock, his finger faltering.

_I don't love you, Gabriel. I never have. I've been using you._

Gabriel dropped his hand. Peter fell to the floor, choking. The incision healed almost instantly.

_I love it when you're forceful._

_It will always feel right. Because, this? You and me? It's destiny._

_Don't leave me. _

_I'll protect you, Gabriel._

Gabriel blinked and the images were gone. He stood up slowly and looked down at Peter, his expression frighteningly cold. Mohinder dropped from the ceiling, finally drifting into merciful unconsciousness (this happens when you hit your head on the ground).

He picked Peter and threw him across the room as though he weighed nothing at all. "You," he said and the word chilled Peter to the bone. "You gave me everything I ever wanted. And then you just took it all away." He snapped his fingers. "Like that."

"You don't think I see you in everyone I'm with?" He picked Peter up and threw across to the other side of the room where he landed with a barely disguised snap. Gabriel grinned. "Every time I get close I remember you and I ruin _every fucking relationship _I've ever had." He gave him a kick and heard something break. "You ruined my life, Peter. And now," he added, preparing to give him another kick, "I'm going to take yours."

Thanks to Claire (and Claude, he supposed), Peter was able to heal fast enough so that Gabriel's kick connected with the nearby wall. As he cursed, Peter moved into the middle of the room. Gabriel was able to see him turn invisible out of the corner of his eyes.

He grinned. "Interesting, I can't wait to try that one."

He turned fully so that he was now facing the room, his back to the wall. The grin still plastered across his face, he slowly raised the shards of glass he'd caused to be on the floor from that oh so unfortunate window breakage earlier. When they were at about the height Peter's head would be he released them.

Gabriel saw one shard disappear and then reappear now firmly planted in Peter's head. The grin slowly slipped off his face.

Before he could understand what he was doing, Gabriel was on his knees and crawling over to where Peter's lifeless body was now crumpled on the floor. He took him in his arms and without really knowing why began rocking him gently.

"Oh, Peter," he whispered, tears running slowly down his cheeks. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean it...Come back, Peter, come back...Peter, _please_..." He roared his grief into the empty apartment and then bowed his head.

He lifted Peter up into his arms, his head resting on Gabriel's shoulders. "I'll protect you, Peter," he whispered and then left.

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**And I say to you, faithful reviewers (*cough* review *cough*), this is not the last chapter. **

**Review please. **


	9. Together

**Chapter Nine: Together**

**Author's Note: Oh god *begins to hyperventilate* The last chapter! How could it have come so soon? Anyway, thanks to all of you who were nice enough to review (and also to favourite and so forth).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes**

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Gabriel gently removed the shard of glass from Peter's head and laid him down on the bed, a towel propping up his head.

Then he gazed around his apartment. He hadn't been here in months. He wondered if anyone would come looking for him here. Probably not since they wouldn't believe he could be _that _stupid. And therein lay his genius.

Peter coughed behind him and he spun around. Seeing him sit up and shake his head slowly as if to relieve it of something, Gabriel could only stare in pure shock. "Peter...how?"

Peter grinned crookedly. "I guess the whole regeneration thing works even when you're technically dead."

And then Peter decided not to say anything more because Gabriel was kissing him and he _really _didn't want to interrupt that.

Eventually, however, Gabriel stopped kissing him, mostly because he realised that Peter was about to get blood on his nice clean bed. He stood up and led a very willing (but also slightly dazed) Peter out of the room and into an adjourning bathroom.

"Gabriel?" he asked, as the said man slowly undressed him. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to take a shower," he said simply, turning on the shower and then undressing himself.

"We are?" Peter squeaked. Damn that voice of his. "Why?"

Gabriel looked at him. "Because," he said slowly in case Peter had suffered any unforeseen brain damage from that glass shard. "In case you haven't noticed, your hair is covered in blood."

Peter blinked. Okay, that made sense. "But why are you taking one with me?"

Gabriel stopped undoing his belt. "You mean...you don't want me to?"

Peter crashed into him, pushing him up against a rather uncomfortable tiled wall, his lips following quickly after his body. Gabriel's pants were soon lost, not that he really cared. They quickly found themselves in the shower and, after much groping and general pleasure-taking, Gabriel was finally able to wash Peter's hair. As he watched the blood drain, he felt something he hadn't felt for years: at peace.

They eventually found themselves back at the bed. Peter felt somehow grateful to Gabriel for removing him when he did. He felt the bed would not have smelled as good with his blood staining it.

"Gabriel..." he murmured awhile later, their appetites for each other sated for now.

"Mmm?" Gabriel nuzzled against Peter's chest.

"Why did you save me?"

Gabriel looked into Peter's eyes and saw only curiosity. "Because..." he began and then couldn't continue. He took a deep breath. "Because even though I hated you...I still couldn't see you like that. All these years, all the times I tried..." He bit back a laugh. "I could never stop myself from loving you, Peter."

"True," Peter said, delighted when this managed to elicit a laugh.

"Now," Gabriel said firmly, pulling himself away. Peter didn't understand what was happening and tried to pull him back down. Gabriel let himself be but only so that he could whisper, "I'll be back, silly."

Peter lay back down with a pout as Gabriel entered the bathroom. A moment later he crowed, a sound that made Peter start up, his heart pounding with dread. Oh god. Oh no. What was it with Gabriel and his underwear? He buried his face in the pillow.

Gabriel crawled back into bed only seconds later. "Peter?"

"Mmm?" Peter replied, his face still squished into the pillow.

"To the Angel mobile, away!"

Peter gritted his teeth, took hold of the pillow and swung it with all his might in Gabriel's direction. Gabriel gave what sounded like a surprised squawk and fell off the bed, clutching the pillow. He waited a moment and then crawled to the edge of the bed, looking over hesitantly. Gabriel pulled him down with him, beginning to kiss him before he'd hit the ground.

What felt like – and in fact was – hours later, Gabriel and Peter sat, backs against the side of the bed, the blankets wrapped around them, their breathing coming in gasps as they tried with little success to retrieve it.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Peter said, just the tiniest bit exhausted although he'd never admit it.

"Well," Gabriel said calmly, turning to kiss his nose. "I was thinking we'd sit here for awhile..." He kissed Peter on the forehead. "...and then maybe I'd make us some breakfast..." On the lips. "...and then I thought we could continue where we'd left off..." Under the chin. "...except this time with the addition of chocolate sauce." He grinned wickedly as he began to slowly trail kisses down Peter's chest.

Peter laughed softly and pushed him away. "I didn't mean that, silly."

Gabriel tried not to look hurt. "But I thought you liked chocolate sauce..."

His hurt vanished when Peter grinned. "Of course I do!" he said loudly. Gabriel nestled against his chest with a soft sigh. "It's just that...what are we going to do now? I mean, now that we're together." He paused. "We are together, aren't we, Gabriel?"

Gabriel moved away slightly to look him in the eye. "Yes, we damn well are. And don't you go getting any funny ideas, mister," he added, wagging a stern finger in Peter's face.

Peter grinned rather goofily. Gabriel nodded firmly and resumed his position. "In answer to your other, _less stupid_, question," he said. "I don't really know. I mean...I've killed a lot of people, Peter. That just doesn't go away because we're together now. Even if your brother is on his way to becoming a Senator."

Peter sighed. "I know..." He brightened. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we move to L.A. and, under the cover of darkness, fight all manners of evil, like Angel? Or," he added, getting a little taken with the idea. "We could become vigilantes, like Batman, and fight crime. How does that sound?"

Gabriel looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "You really are weird, kid."

"Don't call me kid," Peter said sullenly, without thinking. They smiled at each other. Peter sat up and looked at Gabriel. "Think about it, Gabriel, okay? Image it..." He made a rather impressive gesture with hands, narrowing his eyes as if really seeing it. "The path of redemption...you save people, instead of killing them. In return you slowly repay your debt to society. And I'll be right by your side. What do you think?" Peter's impassioned speech was marred somewhat by that fact that, having become a bit too excited, he tripped. How he could trip when he was basically on his knees, Gabriel never knew, but somehow he did.

Gabriel laughed, although not cruelly. "You do realise that both Angel and Batman dedicated their lives to the battle against evil, right? And that their debts could never truly be repaid?" And also that neither had had the person they loved by their side, for long anyway, in that battle, he added silently.

Peter was quiet. "I still like my plan," he said finally, stubbornly.

Gabriel brushed his lips against Peter's and then pulled away, leaving Peter slightly dazed. "I'll think about it, okay?"

Peter nodded, understanding but not really taking it in.

Gabriel grinned at his kiss's effect. "For now, I'm going to go make breakfast, okay?"

Peter continued nodding and, as Gabriel left the room, fell gently to the floor. "That was nifty," he said, unable to both contain his breathlessness and stop himself using the reference.

After much discussion they eventually decided to head for L.A. to give Peter's plan a go. This was mostly because Gabriel couldn't come up with a better one. So they went.

They eventually donned costumes and masks. Peter refused to wear his underwear outside his pants even though Gabriel was remarkably persistent. Even after Peter stopped replying.

They also eventually resumed contact with Rosie who had become a reporter before marrying (and then divorcing, and then marrying again) Will Tremain.

What Peter had said years ago, about 'it' always feeling right, even when they were senile old men, their teeth and hair falling out? Well, it always _did _feel right.

THE END

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**Well. That was the last chapter. And no, that wasn't a joke. Hopefully it wasn't too much of a letdown (I don't think so anyway). It was Peter's plan or jail, really. **

**Review please. I need to bestow more 'mental sunshine.' **


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